Mayr Power Transmission has developed an intelligent brake control module that not only energises brakes, but can also monitor them without using sensors. The Roba-brake-checker is said to be easy to integrate into existing systems and Mayr predicts that it will open up new possibilities for the monitoring of electromagnetic safety brakes.

The Danish linear motion specialist Linak has announced a range of linear actuators with built-in controllers which, it says, will simplify installation and set-up, reduce downtime and maintenance, and deliver greater accuracy. The IC (integrated controller) actuators provide customisable settings and feedback that help to tailor their movements to an application.

Festo has launched a series of “affordable” stopper cylinders which, it claims, are the most powerful of their type on the market. The DFSP cylinders can withstand impact forces up to 200% higher than their predecessors.

The Japanese sensor-maker Alps Electric has developed what it claims is the world’s smallest force sensor, with potential applications for position control in industrial equipment and robots. The HSFPAR sensor uses MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) technology to achieve its tiny size (2 × 1.6 × 0.66mm).

Aerotech has announced a high-performance nanopositioning piezo drive which, it claims, will allow coordinated motion between up to ten axes of piezo stages and servo axes at much higher rates than other controllers or drives.

Wago has announced an integrated engineering tool that supports the entire automation development process, from software design through to machine operation. The e!Cockpit tool, based on the Codesys 3 platform, is said to allow automation tasks to be implemented and run more quickly and cost-effectively.

National Instruments (NI) has announced a new generation of embedded control systems in three formats, based on its open, flexible LabView RIO (reconfigurable I/O) architecture. It says that the controllers, which are optimised for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), will help users to build smart industrial systems and machines faster.

MTS Sensors has developed a linear encoder with two output channels – an incremental interface and a synchronous serial interface (SSI) – for position and velocity control of linear and other motors. The Temposonics A-Series Duo encoder can be used to implement measurement systems requiring absolute position feedback, while also producing an incremental encoder signal for monitoring the motor position. The ability to capture absolute position data means that recalibration is not needed.

ACS Motion Control has announced a dual-axis EtherCat drive that, it claims, provide a level of performance that was previously only achievable using linear drives, but without the drawbacks of such linear drives. The NPMPM PWM (pulse width modulation) drives are said to be significantly smaller, more efficient, better protected and cheaper, as well as producing less heat.

Unitronics has added an alarm management system to its UniStream all-in-one controller, which combines the functions of a PLC and an HMI. Designed to comply with the ISA 18.2 guidelines for implementing, operating and managing alarm systems, the alarm system is supported by a new version of Unitronics’ application development software, UniLogic.

Yokogawa has announced a power analyser that it claims is the world’s most stable and accurate. The WT3000E analyser – an enhancement of the earlier WT3000 – has a 45–65Hz accuracy of 0.01% of reading, plus 0.03% of range, based on RMS values rather than the waveform peak values used by some manufacturers.

Taiwan-based Adlink Technology has announced an EtherCat-based motion control system consisting of a palm-sized master controller, and a modular I/O and motion control system. The combination offers low-cost deterministic control of automated processes and is said to be easy to develop.

The German sensor-maker wenglor sensoric has announced a range of inductive sensors which, it claims, will revolutionise the sector. The sensors, which have switching distances up to three times longer than usual, can be mounted alongside each other without causing interference.